מִשְׁלֵי 14

1 חַכְמוֹת נָשִׁים בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ וְאִוֶּלֶת בְּיָדֶיהָ תֶהֶרְסֶֽנּוּ׃

Every wise woman has built her house, And the foolish breaks it down with her hands.

2 הוֹלֵךְ בְּיָשְׁרוֹ יְרֵא יְהוָה וּנְלוֹז דְּרָכָיו בּוֹזֵֽהוּ׃

Whoever is walking in his uprightness is fearing YHWH, And the perverted is despising Him [in] his ways.

3 בְּֽפִי־אֱוִיל חֹטֶר גַּאֲוָה וְשִׂפְתֵי חֲכָמִים תִּשְׁמוּרֵֽם׃

A rod of pride [is] in the mouth of a fool, And the lips of the wise preserve them.

4 בְּאֵין אֲלָפִים אֵבוּס בָּר וְרָב־תְּבוּאוֹת בְּכֹחַ שֽׁוֹר׃

Without oxen a stall [is] clean, And great [is] the increase by the power of the ox.

5 עֵד אֱמוּנִים לֹא יְכַזֵּב וְיָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים עֵד שָֽׁקֶר׃

A faithful witness does not lie, And a false witness breathes out lies.

6 בִּקֶּשׁ־לֵץ חָכְמָה וָאָיִן וְדַעַת לְנָבוֹן נָקָֽל׃

A scorner has sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge [is] easy to the intelligent.

7 לֵךְ מִנֶּגֶד לְאִישׁ כְּסִיל וּבַל־יָדַעְתָּ שִׂפְתֵי־דָֽעַת׃

Go from before a foolish man, Or you have not known the lips of knowledge.

8 חָכְמַת עָרוּם הָבִין דַּרְכּוֹ וְאִוֶּלֶת כְּסִילִים מִרְמָֽה׃

The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way, And the folly of fools [is] deceit.

9 אֱוִלִים יָלִיץ אָשָׁם וּבֵין יְשָׁרִים רָצֽוֹן׃

Fools mock at a guilt-offering, And among the upright—a pleasing thing.

10 לֵב יוֹדֵעַ מָרַּת נַפְשׁוֹ וּבְשִׂמְחָתוֹ לֹא־יִתְעָרַב זָֽר׃

The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not interfere with its joy.

11 בֵּית רְשָׁעִים יִשָּׁמֵד וְאֹהֶל יְשָׁרִים יַפְרִֽיחַ׃

The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourishes.

12 יֵשׁ דֶּרֶךְ יָשָׁר לִפְנֵי־אִישׁ וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ דַּרְכֵי־מָֽוֶת׃

There is a way—right before a man, And its latter end [are] ways of death.

13 גַּם־בִּשְׂחוֹק יִכְאַב־לֵב וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ שִׂמְחָה תוּגָֽה׃

Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy [is] affliction.

14 מִדְּרָכָיו יִשְׂבַּע סוּג לֵב וּמֵעָלָיו אִישׁ טֽוֹב׃

The backslider in heart is filled from his ways, And a good man—from his fruits.

15 פֶּתִי יַאֲמִין לְכָל־דָּבָר וְעָרוּם יָבִין לַאֲשֻׁרֽוֹ׃

The simple gives credence to everything, And the prudent attends to his step.

16 חָכָם יָרֵא וְסָר מֵרָע וּכְסִיל מִתְעַבֵּר וּבוֹטֵֽחַ׃

The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident.

17 קְֽצַר־אַפַּיִם יַעֲשֶׂה אִוֶּלֶת וְאִישׁ מְזִמּוֹת יִשָּׂנֵֽא׃

Whoever is short of temper does folly, And a man of wicked schemes is hated.

18 נָחֲלוּ פְתָאיִם אִוֶּלֶת וַֽעֲרוּמִים יַכְתִּרוּ דָֽעַת׃

The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned [with] knowledge.

19 שַׁחוּ רָעִים לִפְנֵי טוֹבִים וּרְשָׁעִים עַֽל־שַׁעֲרֵי צַדִּֽיק׃

The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20 גַּם־לְרֵעֵהוּ יִשָּׂנֵא רָשׁ וְאֹהֲבֵי עָשִׁיר רַבִּֽים׃

The poor is hated even of his neighbor, And those loving the rich [are] many.

21 בָּז־לְרֵעֵהוּ חוֹטֵא וּמְחוֹנֵן עניים עֲנָוִים אַשְׁרָֽיו׃

Whoever is despising his neighbor sins, Whoever is favoring the humble, O his blessedness.

22 הֲ‍ֽלוֹא־יִתְעוּ חֹרְשֵׁי רָע וְחֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת חֹרְשֵׁי טֽוֹב׃

Do they who are devising evil not err? And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good,

23 בְּכָל־עֶצֶב יִהְיֶה מוֹתָר וּדְבַר־שְׂפָתַיִם אַךְ־לְמַחְסֽוֹר׃

In all labor there is advantage, And a thing of the lips [is] only to want.

24 עֲטֶרֶת חֲכָמִים עָשְׁרָם אִוֶּלֶת כְּסִילִים אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

The crown of the wise is their wealth, The folly of fools [is] folly.

25 מַצִּיל נְפָשׁוֹת עֵד אֱמֶת וְיָפִחַ כְּזָבִים מִרְמָֽה׃

A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breathes out lies.

26 בְּיִרְאַת יְהוָה מִבְטַח־עֹז וּלְבָנָיו יִהְיֶה מַחְסֶֽה׃

Strong confidence [is] in the fear of YHWH, And there is a refuge to His sons.

27 יִרְאַת יְהוָה מְקוֹר חַיִּים לָסוּר מִמֹּקְשֵׁי מָֽוֶת׃

The fear of YHWH [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.

28 בְּרָב־עָם הַדְרַת־מֶלֶךְ וּבְאֶפֶס לְאֹם מְחִתַּת רָזֽוֹן׃

The honor of a king [is] in the multitude of a people, And the ruin of a prince in lack of people.

29 אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם רַב־תְּבוּנָה וּקְצַר־רוּחַ מֵרִים אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

Whoever is slow to anger [is] of great understanding, And whoever is short in temper is exalting folly.

30 חַיֵּי בְשָׂרִים לֵב מַרְפֵּא וּרְקַב עֲצָמוֹת קִנְאָֽה׃

A healed heart [is] life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones [is] envy.

31 עֹשֵֽׁק דָּל חֵרֵף עֹשֵׂהוּ וּמְכַבְּדוֹ חֹנֵן אֶבְיֽוֹן׃

An oppressor of the poor reproaches his Maker, And whoever is honoring Him Is favoring the needy.

32 בְּֽרָעָתוֹ יִדָּחֶה רָשָׁע וְחֹסֶה בְמוֹתוֹ צַדּֽ͏ִיק׃

The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, And the righteous [is] trustful in his death.

33 בְּלֵב נָבוֹן תָּנוּחַ חָכְמָה וּבְקֶרֶב כְּסִילִים תִּוָּדֵֽעַ׃

Wisdom rests in the heart of the intelligent. And it is known in the midst of fools.

34 צְדָקָה תְרֽוֹמֵֽם־גּוֹי וְחֶסֶד לְאֻמִּים חַטָּֽאת׃

Righteousness exalts a nation, And the righteousness of peoples [is] a sin-offering.

35 רְֽצוֹן־מֶלֶךְ לְעֶבֶד מַשְׂכִּיל וְעֶבְרָתוֹ תִּהְיֶה מֵבִֽישׁ׃

The favor of a king [is] to a wise servant, And one causing shame is an object of his wrath!